What do scientists know about brain injuries so far?

What do scientists know about brain injuries so far?

Posted By
Eliot Reiner

In the last few decades, there has been a lot of research conducted around
brain injuries and the effect they can have on a person. The more research
that is conducted, the more we begin to understand the severity of these
injuries and the danger they pose to sufferers across the nation.

So what do scientists know about brain injuries so far? Let's take a look.

One thing that scientists and doctors have known for years now is how a
person suffers a traumatic brain injury. When a person receives a blow
to the head, the brain continues to move, slamming into the skull and
causing injury. Depending on the force applied to the head and whether
the person was wearing protective equipment or not will determine the
severity of the injury.

Another thing researchers are learning is how best to treat brain injuries.
Most doctors consider even a mild concussion something to be concerned
about, which is why new standards for rest and recovery are being developed
to prevent further injury down the road.

In recent years, researchers have also learned that multiple brain injuries
can lead to a serious degenerative disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy
-- a disease which we outlined in a September post. Even suffering a second
concussion can lead to a rare complication called "second impact
syndrome," which causes the brain to swell.

Though this may all sound bad, there is a silver lining: science and advancements
in technology have provided us with new ways of detecting head injuries.
This new technology can help doctors better identify a brain injury and
its severity, which then leads to more specialized treatments for their
patients. In the end, using this technology may provide the treatments
necessary to prevent future CTE cases as well.